[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Board of the Township of
Putnam as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 4-20-1966 by Ord. No. 5; readopted at time of adoption
of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
This article shall be known and cited as the "Putnam Township
Mobile Home and Trailer Coach Ordinance."
The Comprehensive Plan and scope of this article is to safeguard
and promote the public health, safety, morals, prosperity and general
welfare of the residents of Putnam Township by having certain regulations
and restrictions.
For the purpose of this article, certain terms and words are
herewith defined as follows:
A.
Words used
in the present tense include the future; words used in the singular
include the plural; and words used in the plural number include the
singular; and the word "shall" is mandatory and not merely directory.
B.
MOBILE HOME or TRAILER COACH
TRAILER COACH PARK
As used
in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any movable vehicular unit with or without motive power,
designed to permit occupancy as a dwelling or sleeping place by one
or more persons.
Any tract, lot, site, parcel of land, or field arranged or
designed to accommodate three or more trailer coaches or mobile homes
for either transient, temporary or more or less permanent type of
occupancy.
From and after the effective date of this article, it shall
be unlawful for any person to use, within the limits of Putnam Township,
any mobile home or trailer coach for dwelling purposes or any other
purpose, except as provided and permitted by this article.
A.
The Township Board may permit, upon application, the use of a trailer
or mobile home as a temporary dwelling for a period of one year when
the occupant of said trailer is definitely engaged in the erection
of a permanent dwelling on the same lot and when necessary and proper
health, sanitation, plumbing and fresh water facilities are provided.
If substantial progress has been made toward the completion of the
permanent dwelling, the Township Board may grant an extension of 12
months.
B.
The Township Board may permit, upon application, and upon receipt
of proof of unique hardship, the use of a trailer coach or mobile
home as an accessory dwelling to a permanent dwelling. Not more than
one trailer may be used and occupied as such accessory dwelling and
then only if the occupants of such trailer have access to and the
unlimited use of the sanitary facilities of the permanent dwelling.
C.
Trailers which are brought by visitors for traveling purposes may
be occupied and allowed; provided, the visitors occupying said trailers
use the toilets, bathing and laundry facilities of the dwelling of
the property owner or occupants they are visiting. Provided further,
the maximum period for such use shall be 30 days without permit and
such use shall be limited to one such visiting trailer at a dwelling.
The Township Board may extend this period at its discretion, provided
application is made in writing to said Board.
D.
Temporary permit for farm workers.
(1)
Mobile homes and trailer coaches shall be legally used when located
on a farm of 40 acres or more under a "temporary permit" for the occupancy
of farm workers. Said farm owner or lessee shall first make written
application to the Township Clerk, who shall issue said permit for
one or more vehicular units after an inspection shows:
(2)
A permit shall be for a period of one year.
E.
Mobile homes and trailer coaches shall be legally used when located
on a land site approved by the Township under "temporary permit" for
the occupancy of construction workers on a specific job. The employer
shall first make written application through the Township Clerk, giving
all pertinent data, including description of land to be used and number
of vehicular units to be used; providing inspection shows that the
location of units to be not less than 200 feet from any public highway
and/or boundary of adjoining property and adequate fresh water supply
and sanitary facilities; then a temporary permit shall be issued covering
the period of the specific construction job, not to exceed one year;
subject to an extension for a one-year period for good cause.
F.
Mobile homes and trailer coaches shall be legally used when openly
parked by the owner on the said owner's own dwelling site, providing
said vehicular unit is unoccupied and located as follows: back of
rear wall of dwelling not closer than 10 feet to any side or rear
line, if not a street line; nor closer than 100 feet to any street
line. Said open parking or storage subject to restriction governing
the use of the premises.
The use of any mobile home or trailer coach placed on a lot,
parcel or tract of land in Putnam Township prior to the effective
date of this article, which use is prohibited by this article, shall
be a valid nonconforming use that may be continued, subject to the
provisions pertaining to nonconforming uses herein contained.
It is hereby provided that as of the effective date of this
article, any nonconforming use of a mobile home or trailer coach shall
cease to be valid and shall become illegal forthwith in the event
of any one or more of the following conditions pertaining to the use
thereof:
A.
If said mobile home or trailer coach is removed from the lot, parcel
or tract of land on which it has been located; said identical mobile
home or trailer coach, nor any other vehicular unit shall be thereafter
moved upon or used on said premises. Provided, however, the owner
and occupant may improve the premises by exchanging trailers or coaches
so long as such exchange is accomplished within a period of seven
days and such request is made before the Township Board.
B.
If any accessory structure, garage, storage shed shall be erected
adjacent to or in proximity of said vehicular unit;
C.
If said mobile home or trailer coach is not connected with fresh
water supply and septic tank and drain field sewerage system prior
to the affective date of this article;
D.
If the yards surrounding said mobile home or trailer coach shall
be ill kept and unsightly to the extent or being an eyesore and a
nuisance.
Establishment of trailer coach or mobile home parks shall be
by permit issued by the Township Board and under such safeguards and
conditions as the Putnam Township Board shall prescribe.
Any person violating this article is responsible for a municipal civil infraction as provided in Chapter 55 of the Code of the Township of Putnam.
The Township Board, the Township Attorney, the County Health
Officer, the Prosecuting Attorney of Livingston County, any owner
or owners of real estate within the area or any other aggrieved person
may institute injunction, mandamus, abatement or other appropriate
proceedings to correct violations of this article.
[Adopted 2-18-1970 by Ord. No. 9; readopted at time of adoption
of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
No person, firm or corporation shall construct, operate or maintain
a trailer or mobile home park in Putnam Township, without first having
obtained an annual trailer court permit from the Township Clerk. Application
for such permit shall be made prior to any preparatory work such as
grading, fill or drainage.
A.
Application for an initial annual trailer coach or mobile home park
permit shall be filed with the Township Clerk of Putnam Township.
The application shall be in writing on forms prescribed by the Township
Board, signed by the applicant, and shall include the following:
(1)
The name and address of the applicant;
(2)
The location, address and legal description of the property proposed
for such use;
(3)
A complete plat plan of the park drawn to scale;
(4)
Plans and specifications of all buildings, improvements and facilities
to be constructed within the park;
(5)
Any additional information required by the Township Planning Commission,
Township Zoning Board or Township Board, concerning soil structure,
topography or exceptional conditions at the proposed site.
B.
When construction is completed, the Zoning Administrator or other
agent designated by the Township Board for this purpose shall ascertain
that the construction is in accord with the plans and specifications
submitted for such construction and that all applicable provisions
of this and other ordinances, statutes and regulations have been complied
with. Upon receipt of a favorable report and approval in writing,
from such designated official, the Township Clerk shall issue the
permit. The permit holder shall file a copy of the approved plan with
the Township Clerk.
C.
The permit fee required by this article shall be established by the
Township Board.
D.
Permits may be renewed annually upon receipt of a proper application
and fee and evidence of compliance with all requirements of this article.
E.
The provisions of this article shall apply to all new trailer parks
and alterations or additions to existing parks. If any alterations
or additions have taken place in any trailer park, the applicant must
furnish a revised plan to the Township Board, indicating such changes,
when submitting application for permit renewal.
F.
No trailer space within the trailer park shall be occupied for dwelling
purposes until construction of all sewer, water, telephone and electrical
service, paving and street and parking area lighting have been completed
and approved by the Township Board.
A.
It shall be the duty of each permit holder to maintain a current
register containing a record of all trailer coach owners and occupants
located within the park.
B.
The occupant register shall contain the following information:
(1)
The name and legal address of all occupants.
(2)
The name and address of each trailer coach occupant in the park.
(3)
The make, type, model, year and license number of each trailer coach
and motor vehicle as well as the registration number of each trailer
coach and the state and year in which registered.
(4)
The date of arrival and departure of each trailer coach.
(5)
The forwarding address of each occupant.
A.
No trailer coach or mobile home park shall be so constructed or so
altered that it will be less than 100 feet from the right-of-way line
of any public road or highway.
B.
A reasonable and adequate green belt of turf and/or low-growing landscape
materials shall be established as a buffer area between the trailer
park and such road or highway, and shall be maintained in a neat and
well-kept manner.
C.
There shall be provided a buffer area between any trailer coach and
the trailer coach boundary of not less than 75 feet. This buffer area
shall be clear of obstruction other than trees or other natural landscape
materials and shall not be used for aboveground structures.
A.
All lots shall be rectangular or trapezoidal unless otherwise approved
by the Township Zoning Board or Planning Commission with the concurrence
of the Township Board. All lots shall have a minimum area of 15,000
square feet and shall have a minimum width of 100 feet.
B.
Front yards shall be not less than 25 feet in depth from the edge
of any internal street right-of-way. Side yards shall not be less
than 10 feet in width between any structure and the lot line. If the
side yard abuts on an intersection street, the side yard shall have
a minimum depth of 25 feet. Rear yards shall not be less than 10 feet
in depth from any structure to the rear lot line.
Recreation space shall be provided in a central location at
a ratio of 500 square feet per trailer coach lot. Such space shall
be maintained in usable condition for the activities intended, and
shall be enclosed with plant material hedge trimmed to a height of
no more than four feet.
A.
All internal streets within the trailer coach park shall be constructed
as per the engineering sketch included with this article. Plans and
specifications for drainage and street construction shall be submitted
to the Township Board for approval prior to construction. Refer to
Page 3A.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said sketch is on file in the Township offices.
B.
Areas for motor vehicle parking shall be hard surfaced with proper
provision for drainage and stormwater runoff.
C.
For mobile home stability and supporting pier placement, each trailer
coach lot shall have a trailer coach stand capable of supporting a
trailer coach in a fixed position. The trailer coach stand shall consist
of:
(1)
Full-length reinforced concrete ribbons not less than six inches
thick and 18 inches wide, laid on a suitable base, with eyelets or
other suitable anchorage for tie-down imbedded in the concrete at
suitable intervals. Compacted coarse gravel or crushed stone shall
be laid on each side of the concrete ribbons to a depth of not less
than six inches and not less than 10 inches wide.
(2)
As an alternative to Subsection C(1) above, the trailer coach stand may be fully paved with reinforced concrete not less than six inches in depth, with suitable anchorages imbedded in the concrete for tie-down. The surrounding area shall be sodded or seeded to prevent erosion.
(3)
The elevation or topographic variation of the trailer coach stand
shall not exceed 12 inches. The angle or placement, elevation and
distance of the trailer coach stand in relation to accessway shall
be such as to facilitate the safe and efficient placement and removal
of the trailer coach.
A.
The maximum number of occupants of a trailer coach shall be limited
to the number determined on the basis of the square feet of floor
area of habitable space, exclusive of habitable space used for cooking
and toilet purposes, in accordance with the following formula:
B.
Habitable space shall have a minimum ceiling height of seven feet
over 50% of the floor area. Floor area where ceiling height is less
than five feet six inches shall not be considered in computing gross
floor area.
C.
Each trailer coach shall have a safe and unobstructed primary exit
and an unobstructed emergency exit located away from the primary exit.
Septic tanks and drainfields shall not be permitted. Sewage
wastes shall be so treated and disposed of, that there shall be no
detectable pollution effect on the surface waters or the groundwaters
of Putnam Township. Plans and specifications for water and sewage
facilities shall have the approval of the Livingston County Health
Department and the Michigan Department of Health prior to construction.
A certificate of approval from each of these agencies must be on file
with the Township Clerk after final inspection of the completed facilities.
A.
All electrical service conduits and telephone cable shall be underground.
Each trailer coach lot shall be provided with underground electrical
and telephone service. When separate meters are installed, each meter
shall be located on a post uniform with all other meter posts, and
located on the lot line of each trailer space. All wiring shall comply
with applicable state law.[1]
B.
Street and yard lights shall be provided, sufficient in number and
intensity to permit the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians
at night and shall be effectively related to buildings, trees, walks,
steps and ramps. A light intensity of one footcandle is recommended.
C.
All fuel oil and LP gas tanks shall be located on each trailer site
in a uniform manner. All tanks shall be of an approved type to comply
with building code standards, equipped with vent pipes and fused valves
as required. All such tanks shall be elevated on noncombustible standards,
placed on a concrete base and painted the same color.
Each trailer coach lot shall be provided with at least one twenty-gallon
metal garbage can with a tight-fitting cover. The cans shall be kept
in a sanitary condition at all times. It shall be the responsibility
of the park owner to insure that garbage and rubbish shall be collected
and properly disposed of outside the trailer park as frequently as
may be necessary to insure that garbage cans do not overflow. Exterior
property areas shall be maintained free from organic and inorganic
material that might become a health hazard, accident or fire hazard.
Facilities for cleaning refuse receptacles shall be provided in a
central location approved by the Livingston County Health Department.
A.
This article shall be enforced by the Township Zoning Administrator,
the Township Supervisor, the Livingston County Health Department,
and the Prosecuting Attorney for Livingston County. They shall, in
the performance of their duties, inspect the premises during normal
business and at any time in case of emergency. Owners or operators
of trailer parks shall provide access to the premises under their
control for such enforcement officials acting in the performance of
their duties.
C.
The Zoning Administrator, the Township Board, the Township Attorney,
the County Health Officer, the Prosecuting Attorney of Livingston
County, any owners or owner of real estate within the area in which
such trailer coach park is situated or any other aggrieved person
may institute injunction, mandamus, abatement or other appropriate
proceedings to correct violations of this article. The rights and
remedies herein provided are accumulative and in addition to all other
remedies provided by law. Action may be brought in any court within
the county granted jurisdiction by statute or the Constitution of
the State of Michigan.
A.
The Township Board may suspend or revoke any permit to operate or
maintain a trailer coach park, when the permit holder violates any
provisions of this article. After suspension or revocation, the annual
permit may be reissued for the unexpired period, if the circumstances
leading to the revocation have been remedied.
B.
No permit shall be revoked until the permit holder has had 20 days
notice in writing of the revocation and the reasons therefor. If a
written request is filed within 20 days of the date of the revocation,
the Township Board shall conduct a hearing on the matter. Nothing
in this article shall preclude an appeal of a decision of the Township
Board to the Circuit Court of Livingston County.
C.
This article is intended to supplement the provisions of Act 243
of the Public Acts of 1959, named the "Trailer Coach Park Act." Said
act shall govern in the event any provision of this article shall
be construed to broaden any provision in that Public Act.
